ReelAbilities-Pittsburgh: Disabilities Film Festival

What is ReelAbilities?

ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the country dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities. Initiated in NY in 2007, the festival presents award winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout each hosting city. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.

ReelEncounters Pittsburgh - An Afternoon of Shorts

A selection of short films presented at the Human Engineering Research Labs on October 27th.
Appropriate for audiences of age 10 and older.

Outsider– the Life and Art of Judith ScottUSA, English, 26 minutes
Outsider is an intimate portrait of a compelling, eccentric and talented individual who prevails in the face of daunting odds. Judith Scott is a woman with Down syndrome, who is deaf and unable to speak. Her incredible talent with textiles is discovered when her sister takes her from an Ohio institution to California where she begins working at the Creative Growth Art Center and becomes internationally known for her art.

Anything You Can DoAustralia, Non-verbal dialogue, Open Captions, 7 minutes
It’s on! Two boys face off in a game of one-upmanship. The rivalry, from funny faces to unfettered belching, is intense. But when the stakes are at their highest will victory be sweet? A wonderful short film depicting two boys in competition, adapting their play according to their differing abilities.

Among the GiantsUSA, English, Open Captions, 23 minutes
This short documentary film tells the story of the Adaptive Design Association, a New York-based nonprofit that builds customized equipment for children and adults with disabilities, primarily using cardboard. The film depicts the organization’s mission through the compelling stories of college student Tamara Morgan and nine-year-old Raven DeSayles. Among The Giants inspires viewers to solve problems, be creative and impact the community, all while working with inexpensive and readily-available materials.

Sponsored by BNY Mellon.

Supplemental Programming:

Join us at Bakery Square for guided tours (offered before and after the films) of the University of Pittsburgh’s Human Engineering Research Laboratory (HERL), where tomorrow’s technology is being developed today.See 3-D printers, the creation of prosthetic limbs, Smart House features and more robots than you can count, all being developed to assist people with disabilities to adapt their environment and promote independence.

Welcome by Mike Harmon, BNY Mellon. Pre-show remarks by young adults from Children’s Hospital Advocacy Network for Guidance and Empowerment (CHANGE). Post-show remarks by Dr. Michael Boninger, Medical Director of HERL and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Jonathan Duvall, Rehabilitation Science doctoral student and President of Pitt’s Students for Disability Advocacy group.